Restrict Widgets

The same sidebar rarely fits everyone. Visitors need a reason to join, while paying members want quick links to what they paid for. Restrict Widgets lets you restrict widgets by membership or login status, so each widget in your sidebars and footers appears only for the people it is meant for.

You set a rule per widget, in one screen, and the widgets you leave alone stay visible to everyone.

Restrict widgets by membership, one widget at a time

• Every widget area. Each widget in your theme’s widget areas gets its own row, named after its area and its type.
• Block or show. Hide a widget from the people you pick, or show it only to them and hide it from everyone else.
• Pick your audience. Choose All, Registered Users, Unregistered Users, or one or more of your Memberships.
• Active Memberships count. A Membership counts while it is active, so each member sees widgets that match their current access.
• Visible by default. A widget without a rule is shown to everyone.
• One switch for all rules. Turn the add-on off to pause every rule at once, and your rules stay saved.

How Restrict Widgets works

1. Add widgets to your theme’s widget areas as usual.
2. Switch on Restrict Widgets in Ultimate Membership Pro.
3. For each widget, choose Block or Show and pick who the rule is for.
4. Save. Each visitor and member now sees the sidebar that fits them.

Step-by-step setup is in the Restrict WP Widgets guide.

Sidebars that change with the visitor

• A join box for visitors. Show a New here? box to visitors, and hide it from members who already pay.
• Member links for members. Show a live session link only to registered users.
• Latest posts for logged-in users. Block the Recent Posts widget for visitors and keep it for everyone who logs in.

For example, a coaching club keeps its Search widget open to all. It shows the live session link to Registered Users, blocks Recent Posts for Unregistered Users, and hides the New here? box from Pro Monthly and Annual Pass. Visitors see Search and the New here? box. Paying members see Search, the live session link and the latest posts.

Works well with

• Restrict WP Menu, to give visitors, logged-in users and each Membership their own navigation.
• Hidden HTML Elements, to hide other parts of the page by CSS class or ID.
• Content restriction, to protect whole pages and posts.

Questions about Restrict Widgets

Which plans include Restrict Widgets?

Restrict Widgets comes with the Full Package and Agency plans, together with all 46 Pro add-ons. The Pro plan doesn’t include Pro add-ons.

Can I show a widget only to members of one Membership?

Yes. Choose Show for the widget and pick the Membership. Only members who have that Membership active see the widget.

Which widgets can I restrict?

Any widget placed in your theme’s widget areas, such as sidebars and footers. The add-on lists every widget it finds there.

What do administrators see?

Every widget, so you can always manage your site. To check a rule, view the page in a private window or log in as a member.